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CNET
2 days ago
- Climate
- CNET
This Essential Lawn-Mowing Tip Will Keep Your Grass From Dying in Summer Heat
Mowing the lawn during summer is a time-honored tradition and one household chore you might not think contains much nuance. To keep your grass looking sharp and green, there are fatal mistakes to avoid, especially during hot weather. Beyond supplying your grass with proper nutrients and water, these grass-cutting hacks will ensure your lawn stays healthy, even in the sweltering summer heat. With a little strategy and a few easy adjustments, you can turn your lawn from a sorry brown to a glittering green -- and do it in less time. So grab your best mower and read these four essential tips for when to mow, how to mow, and how to keep your mower happy. Read more: The gardening tips everyone needs to know. 1. Keep it long I short trim can cause damage to your lawn, especially during hotter months. Chris Wedel/CNET For some, a perfect lawn is always well-trimmed and consistently kept short. Unfortunately, while this may look nice, it can be a detriment to the overall life of your grass. During the hottest days of summer when your yard is competing with sweltering heat, blazing sun, and less rain, it's best to keep the grass around 4 inches high after a cut. That may seem long, but taller grass retains more water and has longer, healthier roots. So, you'll have to go to the golf course to see that short grass during the summer months if you want your lawn to thrive year-round. 1. Wait until the grass is dry Cicada chimneys look kind of like anthills. Russell Holly/CNET It may seem obvious during the summer when it reaches unbearable temps during the day to try and get started mowing early in the cool morning hours. But if there's still dew on the ground, you can lose time and damage your lawn. This is due to the high likelihood that wet grass will clump up in the discharge chute (that flappy thing on the side), requiring you to stop and remove the clog. Plus, your mower tires won't get great traction either and could put tracks in your yard. Instead, wait until later in the morning when the dew dries, or mow the lawn late in the day before the evening dew. Also, time your sprinklers to start up in the late evening or at night so there isn't extra moisture on the grass when you mow. Here are some more watering tips for your lawn. 3. Go slower Keep your speeds low to make mowing go fast. Alina Bradford/CNET Short on time or just want to get the chore over faster? Then going fast makes the most sense, right? But while it's tempting to go fast while mowing, it can actually create more work for you. By not taking your time and letting the mower do its job properly, there's a good chance it will leave some areas uncut and give the lawn an uneven, sloppy look. This means you'll have to take more time to re-mow it to make the lawn look correct. Instead, take the path of the turtle -- slow and steady. A slower, mid-speed mowing session is faster and better for your lawn than zooming around the grass and ultimately needing to re-mow it later. Also, remember that the choke needs to be lower for slower speeds to run properly. 4. Be consistent My yard has never had such a professional look. Chris Wedel/CNET Mowing randomly across your lawn can take up more time and lead to an uneven cut. Follow a pattern instead, using this technique: Start on the edge of your lawn with the discharge chute pointing toward your lawn Mow around the perimeter of your lawn When you get to your starting point, make a U-turn so the discharge chute is facing the strip you just cut Keep mowing around the perimeter, making sure the discharge chute is pointed toward where you just mowed. In the end, your lawn will end up with a nice pattern and the discharge chute won't clog. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:02 / Duration 0:06 Loaded : 100.00% 0:03 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:04 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season 5. Prep your mower for the next round Regular maintenance on your mower is important to ensure it is reliable and does a great job each and every time you take it out. Spending a little time after you finish mowing will keep your mower in tip-top shape and lasting longer. Start by turning the mower over and rinsing the blades and discharge chute with a garden hose before putting it away. This will prevent grass from building up, drying out, and being much harder to remove. If the air filter on your push mower looks dirty, give it a good wash with some mild dish soap and rinse it with the garden hose. Set the filter aside to dry so you can put it on right before mowing next time. One of the best time savers is keeping your lawn mower blade sharp. A dull blade will require you to go over the same patch of lawn more than once to cut any raggedy bits left behind. A sharp blade allows you to zip around your lawn just once and still get great results. Most mower repair shops will sharpen the blades for a small fee, or you can do it yourself with these tips. FAQs to help you get the best-looking lawn What order should I mow my lawn? It's best to start mowing around the edges of your lawn, with the grass clippings going into your uncut grass. After cutting around the entire perimeter of your yard, turn back around and mow in the opposite direction, with the grass chute pointing towards the perimeter grass you already cut. Continue this mowing direction until complete. Want to make watering your lawn easier? Here's CNET's guide to making your own automated lawn watering system.
CNET
3 days ago
- Health
- CNET
Caution: These 8 Foods Crash and Burn in an Air Fryer
In our years of testing air fryers, we've found that these mighty machines do far more good than harm, but some foods just aren't meant to be cooked in these machines. While chicken wings and thighs thrive and hot dogs and burgers emerge as tasty as if you'd seared them over a blazing grill, others wimper and wilt when confronted with that fast, convection heat. That's why I've learned -- sometimes the hard (and crispy) way -- to ban certain foods from the air fryer entirely. Spinach, kale and leafy greens are one food category you should never cook in an air fryer unless the goal is to make chips. Shellfish? Another food that gets downright demolished by all that power. Even boneless chicken breast can dry out in an air fryer if it's not protected by breading or a coating of flour. After too many culinary flops, I've officially blacklisted these eight ingredients from the air fryer zone. 1. Boneless pork chops Boneless pork chops dry out too easily for an air fryer. Chris Wedel/CNET A perfectly cooked pork chop is a thing of beauty but leaner cuts of the other white meat can dry out in a hurry. Bacon, bone-in pork chops and fattier cuts of swine can handle the air fryer but lean, boneless pork chops and tenderloin tend to dry out when subjected to the blast of high heat. If you're going to use the air fryer to cook pork chops, do so at a lower temperature and use some fat to keep things from getting too dry. 2. Spinach and leafy greens Crisped spinach and kale will not turn out well in an air fryer. CNET Leafy greens are a big no when it comes to air-fryer cooking. The hot convection air will crisp most leafy greens such as spinach, kale and chard far beyond anything you'd want to eat. Solid veggies including Brussels sprouts, squash and zucchini fare well in the air fryer, but leafy greens are best when sautéed, stewed or steamed. 3. Steak and most cuts of beef Steak cooked in an air fryer may end up tough and rubbery. Molly Price/CNET Steak reheats well in the air fryer, but it's not an ideal place to cook it for the first time. Air fryer baskets get hot but not hot enough to give the outside of your steak a proper sear. I've tried cooking steaks in the air fryer before. Even fatty, forgiving steaks don't come out as well compared to when they're cooking on a hot plancha, cast-iron skillet or grill. The exception to the beef rule is burgers. Ground beef won't get stringy and the air fryer's intense heat allows you to get a crusty seer without overcooking the middle. Here's how to make a bacon cheeseburger in the air fryer. Read more: Best Meat Delivery Services 4. Boneless chicken breasts Unbreaded chicken breasts are not the best candidates. Getty Images Chicken wings, thighs and any bone-in pieces are perfect candidates for the air fryer. Boneless chicken breasts don't have much fat and will dry out easily. Protect them with a little egg batter and breadcrumbs and you'll be OK, but bare chicken breasts cooked in the air fryer often emerge dry or rubbery. 5. Large cuts of any meat Pot roast typically needs low and slow methods of cooking. Ry Crist/CNET Large cuts of beef, pork and lamb typically do best when cooked with a low and slow method such as braising or smoking. Avoid the air fryer with its hot blast of convection air when cooking large cuts of meat and opt for the Dutch oven, slow cooker or pellet smoker. 6. Naked broccoli The air fryer will singe broccoli unless you cover it in foil. CNET If you wrap your broccoli in foil, you can use the air fryer to roast it (quickly). If you leave it uncovered and exposed to the hot convection air and you'll end up with sizzled broccoli ends that are anything but delicious. 7. Shellfish Clams and mussels are better for a pot instead of an air fryer. CNET Shellfish such as clams and mussels need liquid to cook without drying out. They are also easily overcooked, which can lead to a chewy rubbery morsel that you don't want anywhere near your plate. Avoid the air fryer when cooking most shellfish. 8. Most baked goods Cake and cookie recipes don't typically translate well from the oven to an air more: Best Seafood Delivery Services You can certainly do some baking in the air fryer but use caution since the air fryer's super convection behaves differently than a normal oven's convection heat. Baking a cake or batch of cookies in the air fryer using the time and temperature called for in a recipe will often result in an overcooked, dry or burnt dessert. When baking in an air fryer, use recipes that are specific to an air fryer and don't assume an oven recipe will translate. If you're looking for a great air fryer, here are CNET's top-rated models for 2025. For more, these are the best air-frying toaster ovens for 2025.
CNET
03-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
Save $500 on Eufy's Impressive Robot Vacuum and Let Its Tech Take On Your Floors
Investing in a robot vacuum can make a big difference when it comes time to clean your home. Few people enjoy cleaning their own floors, and a robot vacuum is more than happy to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, the best robot vacuums with the coolest features can be costly, and that's why this deal is so worthwhile. Right now, you can pick up the Eufy Omni S1 Pro robot vacuum and mop with with $500 off using a code at checkout, which means it's back down to its lowest-ever price. Make sure to enter the discount code EUFYS1PROC when checking out to get the best price, It's also important to keep in mind that this deal likely won't last for long. Make sure to act soon if this is the robot vacuum deal for you. This robot vacuum and mop has an all-in-one station that recharges, empties its debris bin, washes and dries the mop and refills its water tank. That means it can focus on cleaning your carpeted and hard floors on an automated routine, with less need for you to step in and perform maintenance. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. CNET's smart home expert Chris Wedel took the Eufy Omni S1 Pro for a spin a few months ago and described how it quickly became his favorite for tidying his floors, calling out its exceptional mopping performance and unique features like the self-sterilizing base station. One of his main qualms was the price, but at a third off right now, this is definitely one of the best vacuum deals you're likely to find. Just be sure to use the sales code at checkout to avail the discount. Why this deal matters When considering the pricier options in the world of robot vacuums, they tend to hold their value quite well. While new models do come around here and there, the good ones last a long time. This model is a powerhouse in just about every way, and this is quite literally the lowest the price it's ever been.
CNET
03-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
Save $500 Off Anker's Eufy Omni S1 Pro Impressive Robot Vacuum With This Code and Let Its Tech Take On Your Floors
Investing in a robot vacuum can make a big difference when it comes time to clean your home. Few people enjoy cleaning their own floors, and a robot vacuum is more than happy to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, the best robot vacuums with the coolest features can be costly, and that's why this deal is so worthwhile. Right now, you can pick up the Eufy Omni S1 Pro robot vacuum and mop with $500 off using a code at checkout, which means it's back down to its lowest-ever price. Make sure to enter the discount code EUFYS1PROC when checking out to get the very best price, It's also important to keep in mind that this deal likely won't last for long. Make sure to act soon if this is the robot vacuum deal for you. This robot vacuum and mop has an all-in-one station that recharges, empties its debris bin, washes and dries the mop and refills its water tank. That means it can focus on cleaning your carpeted and hard floors on an automated routine, with less need for you to step in and perform maintenance. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. CNET's smart home expert Chris Wedel took the Eufy Omni S1 Pro for a spin a few months ago and described how it quickly became his favorite for tidying his floors, calling out its exceptional mopping performance and unique features like the self-sterilizing base station. One of his main qualms was the price, but at a third off right now, this is definitely one of the best vacuum deals you're likely to find. Just be sure to use the sales code at checkout to avail the discount. Why this deal matters When considering the pricier options in the world of robot vacuums, they tend to hold their value quite well. While new models do come around here and there, the good ones last a long time. This model is a powerhouse in just about every way, and this is quite literally the lowest the price it's ever been.
CNET
03-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
What Is a Smart Home? My Straightforward 3-Part Explanation
At CNET home tech, we often reference the smart home, and even have whole lists of tech that's best for a "smart home." But many have an even bigger question: What is a smart home, and how does it operate? That can be confusing, especially since there are so many different devices, from home security to light bulbs, that seem to be connected to a smart home, some very expensive and others available for only $10. And that's true – a smart home can be many different things, depending on what features you want to add and your budget. So, as CNET's smart home editor, I'm breaking down the smart home into three primary parts that will show you exactly how it all works. 1. Devices that send and receive information Smart home devices can bring convenience and ease to a home. Chris Wedel/CNET The first part of a smart home is the devices that you use in your home. Some are unique additions, while others replace common home electronics that you probably already have. But these smarter devices have extra features and capabilities that many people find handy, from saving energy to increasing safety. Just one product makes your home a little smarter. Add several, and your digs become an official smart home. Here are a few common examples of home products that can be "smart" like this: The Google Nest floodlight cam provides multiple smart features in one device. Tyler Lacoma/CNET From a user standpoint, some devices are more focused on what information they send, and some are more focused on what they receive. For example, leak detectors primarily send information like alerts or sirens when they detect water. Smart light bulbs generally receive information like when to dim at night or what color to change to. Also, I know it seems like the smart home is dominated by Amazon, Google and Apple. But there are hundreds and hundreds of other, smaller brands also creating smart devices, often in innovative fields, and they've become common enough that you can pick up a smart product or two in any local department store. If you're wondering what devices to start with, when I asked Adam Wright, research manager at research firm IDC, he told me, "The smart security segment stands out for its consistent innovation and strong value proposition. AI-enabled cameras and video doorbells, in particular, have driven the continued growth and interest in smart security devices, thanks in part due to a clear value proposition." He also added that, "Intense competition among a very large number of vendors continues to put downward pressure on prices." 2. Data connections between those devices Wireless connections enable smart homes, but there are several different kinds. Westend61 via Getty The second part of a smart home is the wireless connections that these devices create, which link them to other technology, like our smartphones. No device is really considered smart unless it has a wireless connection to something else, providing updates about its status and/or ways to control it remotely. Several types of connections support this smart home chatter: all the languages and standards that smart devices use. One of the most common is your standard Wi-Fi connection, which enables access to smart home devices, even when you're far from home on vacation. Many smart devices can also use Bluetooth connections, especially when it comes to playing music or changing the colors of lights. Matter and Thread enable excellent smart home communication, but adoption is still ongoing. CSA Then there are dedicated, low-energy connections that smart home devices use to communicate with controlling hubs and, occasionally, directly with phones. At the start, those wireless connections were mesh networks like Zigbee and Z-Wave, which you can still find on many smart devices. Over time, these specialized connections have turned to Thread, a more advanced, high-security option. No matter the name, these connections all enable smart devices to send and receive information. But where do the users come in? That brings me to the final part of the smart home: our own app controls. 3. Apps that control the devices and send notifications Apple's app looks and feels great, but you'll need compatible devices to use it. Apple The wireless connections smart devices use ultimately allow us to interact with them using downloaded apps on our phones, tablets and computers (and set-top boxes, smart displays, etc.). These apps act like complex remote controls. Open them up and you can do things like check on the status of an appliance, turn a device on or off, set a temperature, see a live view through a connected camera, talk through speakers, adjust colors and lock a door or close a garage. Behind these scenes, these apps are often supported by the company's own servers and cloud storage. Aqara's app showing cards for security cam views, lights, sensors and more. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Home apps also tend to have lots of menu settings to tinker with things like family profiles, sensor sensitivity levels, geofencing and what AI-powered smart alerts you get. For those who want to go even deeper, apps also let you set smart home routines where multiple devices act simultaneously -- like locking or unlocking doors, disarming security systems and turning on lights all at once. One last important note: These apps come in two flavors. The first type is the app created and offered by the company that created the smart device. These apps can vary in quality, but tend to have the most settings and feature options. The second type is the more central smart home platform, notably Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home. These apps are more streamlined, but you can connect multiple types of smart devices to them (and more all the time, as the Matter standard expands), and they enable voice controls with assistants like Alexa, Gemini or Siri. An Echo Show displays a live camera view of a backyard with an illustrated Alexa voice command. Amazon Does every smart home device need to have an app? Well, usually. Otherwise they probably don't have the extra features we're talking about. But some devices don't require much app use at all, like the Ring-enabled Kidde smart smoke detectors released this year or this SwitchBot air quality monitor. And other times, I'm willing to include no-app products if they have high-tech features, like this auto-adjusting, no-outlet Guidelight 2 LED nightlight. Final words There you have it. These three parts comprise almost any smart home: The devices installed in your home, the connections they use, and the apps we use to interact with them. It's fine to start small with a single device, too. Look for something that can fix a problem around your home that you've been annoyed with for a while, like leaving the door unlocked or not being able to watch your pet. And if you're renting, don't worry -- you can still safely use plenty of smart home technology in a rental. With your crash course in smart homes complete, why not stop by some of our recommendations for indoor security cameras, the smart devices I can't stop using this year, and the best cheap smart devices our editors use.
